Prunus plant named ‘Zita’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Prunus laurocerasus , ‘Zita’, characterized by its dark green glossy mature leaves and young leaves that are bronze red, its bushy spreading mounded plant habit; reaching about 0.8 m in height and 2 m in width, its slow growth rate, its good disease resistance, and its hardiness at least in U.S.D.A. Zones 6 to 9.

Botanical classification: Prunus laurocerasus.

Variety denomination: ‘Zita’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Prunuslaurocerasus, and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘Zita’. ‘Zita’ is a new cultivar of cherry laurel grown for use as alandscape plant.

The new cultivar of Prunus, ‘Zita’, arose from an ongoing breedingprogram by the Inventor in Szombathely, Hungary. The new cultivar wasselected as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation in summer of 2002that arose from seeds collected, pooled and sown from open pollinationof the cultivars ‘Mari’, ‘Piri’, and Klàri (all three not patented). Theexact parenage is unknown.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemcuttings by the Inventor in Szombathely, Hungary in September of 2002.Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that thecharacteristics of the new cultivar are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new Prunus. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Zita’ as a unique-cultivar of Prunus.

-   -   1. ‘Zita’ exhibits dark green glossy mature leaves and young        leaves that are bronze red in color.    -   2. ‘Zita’ exhibits a bushy spreading mounded plant habit;        reaching about 0.8 m in height and 2 m in width.    -   3. ‘Zita’ exhibits exhibits a slow growth rate.    -   4. ‘Zita’ exhibits good disease resistance.    -   5. ‘Zita’ exhibits good hardiness with hardiness at least in        U.S.D.A. Zones 6 to 9.        ‘Zita’ is unique and unlike any other cultivars of Prunus        laurocerasus known to the Inventor. Possible parent plants;        ‘Mari’, ‘Piri’, and ‘Klàri’, all differ from ‘Zita’ in having        young foliage that is green in color, in lacking glossy leaves,        and in having a more vigorous growth rate. ‘Zita’ can be most        closely compared to the cultivars ‘Anbri’ (not patented) and        ‘Otto Luyken’ (not patented). ‘Anbri’ is similar to ‘Zita’ in        foliage coloration, however ‘Anbri’ differs from ‘Zita’ in        having leaves that are less elongated and larger and in having a        more vigorous growth habit. ‘Otto Luyken’ is similar to ‘Zita’        in having glossy dark green mature leaves, but differs from        ‘Zita’ in having young leaves that are green in color, a plant        habit that is less dense and in not being as realiably cold        hardy when grown under the same conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying, colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new cultivar. The photographs weretaken of a 5 year-old plants as grown outdoors in a trial bed inSzombathely, Hungary.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a vew of a row of plants of ‘Zita’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 is a close-up view of young and mature leavesof ‘Zita’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description accurately describe the colors of the Prunus.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 10 year-old trees of the newcultivar as grown outdoors in a trial bed in Szombathely, Hungary. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Plant type.—Evergreen shrub.        -   Plant habit.—Spreading and mounded.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 2 m in width and about 0.8            m height.        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 6 to 9.        -   Diseases and pests.—Has been shown to have good resistance            to mildew, leaf spot.        -   Root description.—Fleshy.        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings.        -   Root initiation.—4 to 6 weeks in a greenhouse in autumn.        -   Root development.—Autumn rooted cuttings are overwintered in            a greenhouse and potted in the spring after which they fully            develop in a liner in 45 days at 20° to 25° C. during the            summer.        -   Growth rate.—Slow.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Slightly oval.        -   Stem color.—New growth; slightly lighter than N144B and            slightly suffused in areas with 172B, mature growth; a blend            of 145B and 144C, mature wood; N199B.        -   Branching.—4 to 6 main stems and 6 to 8 lateral braches per            main stem with an average angle of 30° to 35 °.        -   Stem size.—Main stems; average of 0.8 m in length and 3 to 4            cm in diameter, lateral branches range from 10 to 50 cm in            length and 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter.        -   Stem surface.—Young stems glabrous with slight glossy,            mature stems dull.        -   Branch internode length.—Average of 4 cm.        -   Stem fragrance.—Emit a cherry aroma if bruised.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Elongated elliptic.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute to cuspidate.        -   Leaf fragrance.—None.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, conspicuously recessed on upper            surface, color on mature leaves upper surface green, color            of mature leaves lower surface green.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous and highly glossy on upper surface            and lower surface.        -   Leaf size.—Mature leaves range from 5 to 7 cm in length and            an average 3 cm in width.        -   Leaf internodes.—Average of 2 cm.        -   Leaf color.—Newly expanded leaves upper and lower surface;            167A to 167B, mature leaves upper and lower surface; a blend            of 144A and 144B and then changing to 137B.        -   Petioles.—Average of 0.5 cm in length and 2 mm in width,            slightly lighter than N144B in color, glabrous surface.-   Inflorescence description: Blooms have not been observed on the new    cultivar.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Prunus plant named‘Zita’ as herein illustrated and described.